Ariound Us

Published 5:56 pm, Thursday, March 22, 2012

LUBBOCK — A Lubbock Marine sergeant credited for heroism at the site of a deadly south Lubbock County tractor-trailer crash received one of the Marine Corps’ highest non-combat honors.

Marine Sgt. Stephen N. Sanchez, a Marine recruiter and combat veteran, received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal in a ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Coronado High School.

Col. Samuel T. Studdard, commanding officer, 8th Marine Corps Recruiting District, had high praise for Sanchez before he pinned the gold medal on the sergeant’s uniform.

The crash involved tractor-trailers traveling north on U.S. 87 at the intersection of Woodrow Road on March 23 last year, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The accident occurred when one tractor-trailer rear-ended the other while it was stopped at a recently-installed traffic light.

Two other cars, headed west at the intersection, were pushed into a ditch when the trailer of one of the trucks swung around from the impact, according to Sanchez’s recollections.

Sheriff’s deputies credited Sanchez with providing assistance at the scene, even when a Lubbock County Sheriff’s corporal initially asked him to step back for his safety. Sanchez described disconnecting the truck’s vehicle battery and kicking sand on leaking diesel fuel to prevent a fire.

Sanchez recalled staying at the crash scene more than 45 minutes with the corporal, talking and trying to assist the 45-year-old driver who was struggling to stay conscious and grasping at exposed wires.

The Houston truck driver died later after being airlifted to University Medical Center. — Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

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AMARILLO — A head-on crash killed three people Wednesday night on South Lakeside Drive, police said.

Emergency crews responded at 8:38 p.m. to the 400 block of Lakeside, between Southeast Third Avenue and Interstate 40, officials said. A red and white Ford Ranger collided with a silver Toyota Camry, according to police. The male driver of the Ranger died at the scene, officials said.

The male driver and female passenger of the Camry were taken to a local hospital, where they both died, officials said.

Police said the Ranger was traveling in the wrong direction in the north lane when it smashed head-on into the Camry. Officials were withholding the identities of the victims, pending notification of next of kin, police said. — Amarillo Globe-News

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AMARILLO — The City of Amarillo has reopened Southeast Park after finding “no adverse effects” from a sewage spill that sent wastewater into the park’s playa Saturday, a news release said.

The spill occurred after an hour-long power outage Saturday at the city’s wastewater lift station on South Osage Street caused a manhole to overflow with about 100,000 gallons of domestic, commercial and industrial waste, according to reports.

The city collected and tested samples from the spill and “determined that the water quality is comparable to other Amarillo-area lakes,” a news release said. “Visual observations of the lake also indicate there have been no adverse effects to the water quality.”

The park had been closed since the spill while the city determined there would be no threat to public safety, the release said.

The spill occurred at a manhole on Pioneer Lane, which intersects Osage Street. The city used a vacuum truck to clean sewage debris from Osage. Crews also applied a disinfectant on the spill area, the city information said. — Amarillo Globe-News

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BUSHLAND — Teachers and staff at Bushland Independent School District will receive more than a scheduled pay raise for the 2012-13 school year.

The district’s board of trustees approved a pay increase for teachers and staff that includes a scheduled raise, based on experience, plus 1 percent, Superintendent Don Wood said.

For example, a teacher with five years of experience was scheduled to receive a $499 raise for next year, from $43,221 to $43,720, according to the district’s hiring schedule. This year he or she would receive $936 more than last year, according to the hiring schedule.

The district also narrowed the pay gap between current employees and new hires, Wood said.

Previously, a new hire was paid $5,000 less than an employee who was already with the district with the same years of experience, he said. New hires will only receive $2,000 less than current employees for the 2012-13 school year, he said.

The district froze salaries a year ago.

Enrollment has grown from 1,220 in the 2009-10 school year to about 1,385 students for the current year, according to district data.

The River Road ISD board approved salary increases in December for next school year of $1,100 for all certified teachers and an increase of 2.667 percent for non-certified employees. The Amarillo ISD, Canyon ISD and Highland Park ISD school boards have not yet addressed staff salaries for next year. — Amarillo Globe-News

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LUBBOCK — The Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney’s Office charged a Lubbock man already facing felony drug charges with a felony count of money laundering in connection with a six-month narcotics investigation.

Dandre Hastings, 21, was charged this month with the state jail felony count of money laundering, $1,500 to $20,000, after police said he planned to use thousands of dollars he obtained through selling cocaine to continue selling narcotics, according to the arrest warrant.

A police SWAT team acting on a search warrant arrested Hastings in a house in the 2700 block of East Colgate Street. Officers found more than $7,000 in cash and a marijuana grinder in the house.

Hastings also faces pending felony charges for possession of a controlled substance from November, possession of a controlled substance in a drug free zone from January and evading arrest in a motor vehicle from February. — Lubbock Avalanche-Journal